


The Faceless Blade

by AQLM



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: F/F, Magical Artifacts, No Plot/Plotless, No Sex, No Smut, Shadow Priest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 10:46:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11690025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AQLM/pseuds/AQLM
Summary: In the battle against the Burning Legion, many have clamored for legendary weapons to use against their overwhelming foes. For the Shadow Priest, the chosen blade contains awesome power of unspeakable origin. To avoid suspicion, She must be concealed in another guise.





	The Faceless Blade

None would suspect a spellcaster’s dagger, no matter how sinister it might appear. A warlock’s preference might be a hilt of skulls and a mage’s focus composed of gems ablaze with fire. Those who know of magic titter at the vanity of their craft. An elaborate dagger never guarantees the power within. The casters who browse the markets for the perfect blade might do well to spend their time instead honing the magic within a simple weapon of silver-steel.

This I use to my advantage. I hide Her face behind a lesser blade. In the halls of transmogrification, I cast upon Her a blue and silver disguise. Thin. Curving. Elegant. The original weapon was ripped from the Lich Kel’Thuzad and brought me great fortune in its time. It was good to hold it in my hand once again. With a familiar strike, Our first act was to end the life of the unfortunate Ethereal artisan who performed this service. He wisped back into the Void of his home carrying our secret with him.

I move among the streets of Dalaran. She dangles from my belt, unremarkable but not unseemly. A battered, chipped weapon brings as many glances as an ostentatious blade. That is not Our intent. Nevertheless, the blade brings discomfit to all who brush against us. I may conceal Her face but cannot squelch Her influence.

Nor would I.

The mages squint their eyes as I conduct my business around them. Even before I had Her, I made them uneasy. Void taint stains every priest of the shadows and it has only gotten worse as our powers have grown. The mages recognize the Other-ness we are becoming. Demonic energy the mages can tolerate, albeit with distaste. The fel is familiar; so long as demons have been known, there have been craven casters who seek to seize their power. Thousands of years of study had made defenses against demonic minions commonplace and well-crafted. Should a warlock overstep his bounds in any city, sigils upon sigils would put him and his slaves back into place.

No such safeguards exist against Her and Her kin. Knowledge, yes, but barely touched and relegated to Apocrypha. The elves neglected their defenses after the War of the Shifting Sands. They stood no chance when C’thun returned. None recalled the prison of Ulduar until Yogg-Saron corrupted its guardians and further twisted the mind of the Lich King. Pandaria’s depths went unplumbed until wars crashed upon its shores, tearing apart the land. The strife permitted Y’Shaarj’s influence to spill forth unchecked in spite of the Shado-Pan’s endless vigil. 

Too late have the users of magic attempted to find an effective remedy for the Deep Ones within the earth. In time, the Kirin Tor might craft protection against the power we wield, but for now, their defense is incomplete. Their only armament is raw power and it is a crude tool. A ceaseless onslaught of faceless horrors is no match for a barrage of the arcane.  
This, the mages know. How much more would they squint if they comprehended the true power I wield in their midst. Those few who can sense it hold back their rebuke. They know I am High Priest and my mission must not be stopped.

When I return home, I put away my supplies. I sew my armor and consult my correspondence. I eat a light dinner and inform the matron of the house that I will turn in for the evening. Then I seal my room. I bar the door and spread Light-absorbing wards across my walls. I cast aside the transmogrification. I place Her in my lap and I stare at her single, unblinking Eye. She whispers our future in my mind. The day comes soon where I will have no need to hide Her and the world will be unmade in Our image.


End file.
